The Draft Economic Development Strategy 2024–2028 (the Strategy) was developed as a five-year strategy to guide council in delivering balanced and sustainable growth for the community.

The Strategy’s vision is ‘The City of Wodonga will support balanced and sustainable growth for the community through investment in wealth, human capital, and job creation, with the goal of enhancing economic prosperity and improving the standard of living’.

The Strategy is structured around three pillars of City Convenience, Regional Lifestyle and Global Connection and includes a five-year project plan that outlines how council will achieve the vision outlined in the Strategy.

The Strategy was placed on public exhibition from February 21 to March 12, 2024, in accordance with council's Community Engagement Policy.

There were four submissions received and where applicable will be incorporated into the final Strategy. The Engagement Snapshot report is attached. This was to be the final step in the development of the Strategy prior to Council’s consideration to adopt the Strategy.

However, following the recent restructure of the economic development unit, reduced resources will impact on the council’s capacity to deliver the proposed outcomes of the draft Strategy that was put on public exhibition.

The report presented to council at it's meeting on Monday, April 15, 2024 sought endorsement to review the draft Strategy in accordance with public comments and the new structure to determine what can be delivered within the new structure and to undertake further community engagement once the review has been completed.

The council carried the following resolution.

1. The Draft Economic Development Strategy 2024-2028 be reviewed and revised to ensure that the Strategy can be implemented within the structure of council’s economic development unit;
2. A revised Draft Economic Development Strategy be put on public exhibition in accordance with council’s Community Engagement Policy for community feedback; and
3. Council considers a revised Draft Economic Development Strategy once the feedback from the second public exhibition period has been incorporated.

A review of the Strategy will now commence.